Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Equity Through “Gatsby” In The Age Of Ccss, Allisyn Mills, Seungho Moon

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Influenced by CCSS, the authors provide options for teachers who share the need to design curriculum to incorporate more perspectives in the classroom.

Teaching, Learning, And Leading With Schools And Communities: One Urban University Re-Envisions Teacher Preparation For The Next Generation, Ann Marie Ryan, David C. Ensminger, Amy J. Heineke, Adam S. Kennedy, David P. Prasse, Lara K. Smetana

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Ultimately, the national goals of improving learning outcomes for all students and reducing, if not eliminating, the achievement gap require a teaching corps that brings knowledge and professional competencies to have positive impacts on diverse learners in diverse settings (Gándara & Maxwell-Jolly, 2006). As central actors in schools, teachers have the greatest impact on student achievement (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2005). Nevertheless, due to varied challenges of preparing high-quality teachers within the context of traditional schools of education, preparation programs have yet to consistently and comprehensively produce teachers who accomplish these outcomes (Ball & Forzani, 2009; Larabee, 2004, 2010). While substantive …

Teaching, Learning, And Leading With Schools And Communities: One Urban University Re-Envisions Teacher Preparation For The Next Generation, Ann Marie Ryan, David Ensminger, Amy J. Heineke, Adam Kennedy, David P. Prasse, Lara K. Smetana

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Colleagues in the TLLSC program at Loyola University Chicago analyze the trajectory of teacher education and how it can be improved.

Ecs Evaluation Survey Instruments, Ronald I. Greenberg, Steven Mcgee

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This is a compilation of several surveys used in conjunction with a large-scale implementation of the Exploring Computer Science Curriculum in high schools in the Chicago Public Schools: ECS student presurvey pp. 1--2, ECS student postsurvey pp. 3--4, teacher background survey pp. 5--11, teacher ECS workshop feedback form pp. 12--13, teacher ECS implementation survey pp. 14--24

Our Commitment To Excellence: Key Accomplishments On The 2009‐2014 Strategic Plan, John Pelissero

Political Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

The Land Of Opportunity Doesn't Apply To Everyone: The Immigrant Experience, Race, And Asian American Career Choices, Oiyan Poon

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Despite their popular portrayal as high achieving and structurally incorporated, race continues to shape the career choices of Asian American college students. As second-generation Americans, Asian Americans negotiate a constellation of factors when deciding their career choices, most notably, pressures from immigrant parents, awareness of labor market discrimination, fear of being tokenized in particular occupational fields, and influences from peer networks. These findings help elucidate how race and the social context of immigrant adaptation can affect the occupational trajectories of Asian Americans and other children of immigrants in the United States, regardless of their educational achievement and socioeconomic status.

College Admissions Debates, Oiyan Poon

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

An investigation of affirmative action and its impact on the enrollment of Asian American college students.

Supporting Collaborative Efforts In Implementing Evidence-Based Reading Interventions: The Role Of Online Databases, Gina Coffee, Adam S. Kennedy, Markeda L. Newell

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

The purpose of this article is to provide an explanation of how effective reading interventions are identified. Through a review of the National Reading Panel’s general findings, along with a review of systems currently used to evaluate and disseminate specific reading interventions, a discussion of what works in reading is presented. The Evidence-Based Intervention (EBI) Network is presented as a resource for facilitating collaboration across disciplines. Finally, a framework to guide collaborating professionals in the implementation of evidence-based reading interventions is proposed.

Dialoging About English Learners: Preparing Teachers Through Culturally Relevant Literature Circles., Amy J. Heineke

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this paper, I describe how culturally relevant children’s literature allowed teachers and teacher candidates to explore the lived realities of diverse students. Through my qualitative investigation of 23 literature discussions of undergraduate and graduate students across five academic semesters, I found that texts written by culturally and linguistically diverse authors gave participants new ways to articulate ideas and beliefs about English learners. I discovered specific factors that opened or closed opportunities for dialog and learning in literature circles, including implementation of reader response strategies and various participant groupings. Results hold implications for preparing and supporting teachers to recognize and …

Negotiating Language Policy And Practice: Teachers Of English Learners In An Arizona Study Group, Amy J. Heineke

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

Arizona language policy now requires English learners to enroll in English language development classrooms for four hours of skill-based, English-only instruction. In this article, I describe Arizona teachers’ interpretation and negotiation of language policy and practice during this time of change to more restrictive mandates. I conducted this qualitative case study with a teacher study group comprised of six English language development teachers and one instructional coach from an urban elementary school during the first semester of language policy implementation. Using discourse analysis of individual interviews, study group dialog, and institutional documentation, I investigated teachers’ talk as they grappled with …

Speaking Of Right And Wrong: Black Girls And Moral Development, Tonya Bibbs

Dissertations

Our current approaches to moral development were generalized from the experiences of white males and females. This study draws upon existing theory in order to consider its relevance to Black girls' everyday lives. The study draws upon the moral reasoning gathered from ethnographic dilemma interviews with 8-11 year old girls and their mothers to develop a grounded theory of moral development. The contents of the resulting theory suggest that, while there are aspects of existing moral development theory that appear to be consistent across contexts, the particularity of Black community and middle childhood culminate in a theory of moral development …

Revitalizing The Catholic Identity Of Schools: Ecclesial Leaders Of The Catholic Church On Methods Of Providing An Outstanding Catholic Formation And Education For Students, Linda Ann Andrejek

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Science Youth Action Research: Promoting Critical Science Literacy Through Relevance And Agency, Elizabeth Coleman

Dissertations

This three-article dissertation presents complementary perspectives on Science Youth Action Research (Sci-YAR), a K-12 curriculum designed to emphasize relevance and agency to promote youth's science learning. In Sci-YAR, youth conduct action research projects to better understand science-related issues in their lives, schools, or communities, while they simultaneously document, analyze, and reflect upon their own practices as researchers. The first article defines Sci-YAR and argues for its potential to enhance youth's participation as citizens in a democratic society. The second article details findings from a case study of youth engaged in Sci-YAR, describing how the curriculum enabled and constrained youth's identity …

Tweeting In The Agora: An Historical Documentary Of Educational Structures And Discourse In Ancient Greece And In Modern Social Media, Jill Maraldo

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the systems and structures of formal and informal education in Ancient Greece under the leadership of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle and the systems and structures of education and discourse on social media, specifically on blogs and Twitter. Using historical documentary research methodology of primary and secondary sources, the researcher analyzed, compared and contrasted these systems and structures and examined the implications for today's educational leaders.

The four research questions of this study were:

1. According to select primary sources from 400 B.C.- 322 B.C. (heretofore referred to as ancient times) and historical secondary sources about that …

Perceptions Of Value And Perceived Strengths Of Arts Education During An Age Of Accountability: Conditions And Qualities That Shape A Citizenry - Implications For Leadership, Stephen Tyler Plank

Dissertations

This research examines the perceptions of arts education during periods of educational efficiency and accountability focusing specifically on the arguments made by advocates for the value of arts education within the Chicago area. It is intended to help leaders understand how we can learn from our past through revealing cyclical behaviors that can guide future decisions about how best to lead a school.

This study utilized a mixed methodology of historical documentary with oral history to compare two distinct time periods in education focusing on schools that operated in opposition to the norms of the time. Historical documentary was used …

New Teacher Induction Programs: A Case Study Of An Exemplary School District And How It Prepares Its New Teachers For The Use Of Instructional Technology In The Classroom, David Brian Sherman

Dissertations

This research study examined Generation Y new teachers, the process of new teacher induction, and the most effective methods for providing professional development in instructional technology for Generation Y teachers.

The main research questions for this paper were as follows:

1. What constitutes a high quality new teacher induction program for Generation Y teachers in the area of instructional technology?

2. What recommendations should be made for school districts in order for them to properly train their new Generation Y teachers in the best uses of instructional technology?

3. What are the implications for school leaders?

This was a qualitative …

Andragogy In One Community College: A Study Of Students' Attitudes And Perceptions Toward Reading And Writing Following The Completion Of A Concurrent Acquisition One-Semester Developmental English Course, Michele Murphy Froehlich

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore if student attitudes and perceptions changed toward reading and writing after participation in and completion of a one-semester dual-enrollment mandatory developmental non-credit reading and/or writing course combined with a concurrent acquisition general education three-credit-hour English 101 course.

The subjects were nine voluntary participants in the dual-enrollment Accelerated Learning Program 099 and English 101. The classes were offered in a suburban community college close to a large metropolitan city in the Midwest and taught by the same instructor. A mixed methods approach, that is, descriptive-qualitative/ethnographic was used in this study. Descriptive data were …

Recipe For Resilience: Factors Contributing To Urban African American Males' Post-Secondary Academic Achievement, Melvin Thomas Hargrett

Dissertations

The present research sought greater understanding of and contributes additional insights into supporting the academic success of African American males in urban public high schools and in higher education. The findings based on eight world life interviews of successful African American males from an urban community adds valuable information about the community factors (family, church, schools and community organizations) that contribute to the development of resiliency among African American males. Additionally, the research sought to provide a detailed account of the community wisdom (messages and methods) that informed resilience. Lastly, the transformative nature of resilience was explored in collegiate settings, …

Investigating The Effects Of Facilitating A Participatory Action Research Study At A High School With Small Learning Communities, Elizabeth Willingham Ferrell

Dissertations

In this dissertation, I present three frameworks through which participatory action research (PAR) can be investigated. PAR is a cyclical process through which members of a community identify a problem, create a solution that is customized to their setting, implement their solution, and collect data to assess their improvement plan's effectiveness and to guide modifications for subsequent iterations. In each of three articles, I focus on one framework, its contributing theories, and present findings from my nine month study which took place at a high school on Chicago's northwest side. Each article and framework has its own guiding research questions, …

A Structural Model Of Leadership Self-Efficacy For Asian American Students: Examining Influences Of Collective Racial Esteem And Resilience, Corinne Maekawa Kodama

Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between racial identity, using the constructs of collective racial esteem (CRE), and resilience on LSE for a diverse sample of 2,223 Asian American college students, using data from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, a national survey of college outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the relationship between CRE and Resilience, as well as Non-Discriminatory Climate and Identity-based Experiences, on LSE. The model was tested for invariance for gender as well as for five Asian American ethnic groups (Chinese, Indian/Pakistani, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese).

Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the 4-item CRE subscales were …

Evaluation Of A Conceptual Model Of Student Retention At A Public Urban Commuter University, Hoa Khuong

Dissertations

A new conceptual model of student retention was developed and evaluated for first-year retention and for second-year retention of students at an urban, mid-western commuter university. The model captured the joint effects of academic engagement and environmental factors on academic performance and persistence of commuter students in their first two years of college attendance. The academic engagement and environmental factors incorporated into the model included: pre-college academic achievement, Deep Learning, Study Time per Week, College Math Readiness, Major Selection, Hours of Employment, receiving (or not receiving) a Pell Grant Award and Financial Concerns. Structural equation modeling techniques were utilized to …

Examining The Words And Actions Superintendents Used To Lead An Educational System Through A Culture Shift Following The Occurrence Of A Scandalous Critical Incident, Dale Ross Fisher

Dissertations

The dissertation examines the words and actions district superintendents used to lead an educational system through a culture shift following the occurrence of a scandalous critical incident. This qualitative study deeply investigated the specific words and actions as offered by the superintendents of two educational systems and members of their respective leadership teams. Those actions were then filtered through two lenses. The first lens was John Kotter's eight steps for change, and the second lens was Thomas Sergiovanni's five sources of authority. The study generated five themes of specific actions taken by the superintendents, determined that four of Kotter's eight …

I Do Activist Things Even Though I'M Nothing: A Critical Ethnography Of Immigrant Youth Identity Formation In An Urban Community-School, Sophia Rodriguez

Dissertations

This dissertation explores how Latino immigrant youth make sense out of their educational experience, identity, and sense of belonging in an urban, public high school. This critical ethnography examines their social interactions. The youth live in a segregated neighborhood that is largely abandoned by policy-makers and recently impacted by massive school closures by the district. The youth, within the context of a community-school partnership, advocate for immigrant rights, march in solidarity with their teachers, and engage in organizing to transcend their immigration status and/or achievement status. The central question is: How do Latino immigrant youth in a community-school experience identity …

Reporting Methods And Analyses In Higher Education Research: Hierarchical Linear And Ols Regression Models, Kimberly Quandt Fath

Dissertations

This study examined the reporting practices used by higher education scholars to communicate the methods and analyses of studies using hierarchical linear and OLS regression models. The study consisted of three parts: (a) a citation analysis of sources associated with methods of hierarchical linear models, (b) a content analysis of reporting practices associated with studies that used hierarchical linear models, and (c) a content analysis of the arguments and corrections used by scholars who have used OLS regression techniques on nested data. When possible, results were compared to similar research. The data for this research was drawn from Journal of …

Examining Latino A First-Generation College Students' Educational Resilience At A Jesuit Post-Secondary Institution, Diana Chavez

Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on exploring and understanding Latino/a first-generation college students' process for drawing or enabling educational resilience to persist and achieve their postsecondary education degree. Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Paradigm as the framework, the study explored how interactions between individuals and their environments influenced their persistence outcomes. Using purposeful sampling, 19 juniors and seniors attending a Midwest, private, religiously-affiliated university were selected to participate. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted during one-on-one meetings.

Findings indicated that Latino first-generation college students drew on or were enabled by internal (e.g., first-generation status, self-identified academic challenges, sense of purpose) and external resources (e.g., …

Moderating Variables In The Treatment Effects Of Second Step, Gregory Eugene Moy

Dissertations

Youth violence is a problem which has been studied through theoretical frameworks based on social ecological models of development. This has coincided with the development of programs intended to prevent and reduce the occurrence of youth violence and its negative effects. One approach to preventing youth violence has been to deliver social emotional learning programs to children and adolescents in school settings. Social emotional learning programs are designed to provide children with skills and strategies for increasing self awareness, social awareness, emotion management, problem solving, and thoughtful decision making. Increasing students' familiarity and use of these prosocial strategies are thought …

Social Media And Reflective Thinking: A Case Study Of Generation Y Business Students, Stacy Neier

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Backgrounds And Outcomes Of Allopathic Medical School Applicants: Exploring Stratification And Inequality, Sunshine Nakae

Dissertations

A career in medicine remains one of the most rigorous and arduous journeys in higher education. The time and cost to train coupled with the academic and extracurricular requirements have resulted in challenges in diversifying the profession. This study utilizes an HLM and HGLM to model the influences of individual and institutional predictors on acceptance to medical school. Full descriptive analysis of individual and institutional predictors are also included.

Motivating Factors Of Elementary Teachers (K-5) In Illinois Who Belong To Veteran, Baby Boomer, Generation X, And Generation Y Age Bands: A Study Of Ways In Which Improved Generational Intelligence Can Impact School Leaders, Scott Schwartz

Dissertations

The purpose of this study focused on identifying the perceived factors needed for

maintaining and improving job satisfaction of K-5 teachers in Illinois. Determining how

school leaders can improve their understanding of all generations, and therefore work to

increase motivation amongst a growing age span of teachers, is of increasing importance. Increased legal and mandated demands in the field of education have made teaching and school administration more challenging. Based on what the field of education knows about motivation and research on generational intelligences this study answered questions about what building principals need to understand about Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation …

How Do District Level And Building Level Leaders Collaborate To Implement Mandated Change?, Gwendolyn Zimmermann

Dissertations

This research study examined how school leaders, in particular the associate superintendent of curriculum and a junior high school principal, in the same district collaborated to plan for and implement mandated change. In this research study, the mandated change was that of the State's adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

This study utilized a case study methodology. The case study included one case of an associate superintendent of curriculum for the district and a junior high school principal located in suburban Cook County bounded within the timeframe of August 2012 to October 2013. The district identified had …